In Shageluk, Iditarod Leaders Have the Yukon in Their Sights

Shortly after midnight, defending champion Joar Leifseth Ulsom was first into Shageluk as wet snow fell. He pulled his team over for a nap and a big meal.

There is a gourmet dinner and
prize money 25 miles down the trail in Anvik, but after a hard run through the
hilly terrain, Leifseth Ulsom decided to forego the prize he would have
received if he pushed ahead.

“If I was to do it, it’d only be for the money; it wouldn’t be the best thing for the dogs.”

Last year’s runner-up, Nic Petit, arrived 36 minutes later wearing a raincoat. He was out within three minutes for the run to Anvik.

“What time did he pull in? Quarter after? [to the dogs] Ready, girls?”

The two have been racing near
each other since the Ophir checkpoint and swapped the lead position a few times
Thursday as their rest and run schedules intersected. And there will be more
shuffling of the leaderboard this weekend. Mushers must take an 8-hour rest at
a checkpoint of their choice on the Yukon River or in Shageluk.

As the race enters the fifth day, a warm winter storm is expected to drop a few inches of snow and see temperatures climb into the mid 30s.

Image at top: An aerial view of the trail from Ophir to Iditarod (checkpoint). Photo: Ben Matheson, KNOM.